The ties that bind
by ambermalfoy21
Summary: WIP Rated M for future chapters Draco is freed from Azkaban a year after the war. His freedom it seems has come just in the nick of time, but he soon learns that it also comes at a price. As he works to rebuild his reputation and the Malfoy name he must break ties that have been with him since his infancy. Dramione
1. Chapter 1

"This has got to be a fucking joke!?"

"I assure you, Mr Malfoy that it is not. The documents are quite clear and have been witnessed by 3 individuals of incredibly high standing, you are free to leave, today. If you will kindly follow me, we shall process your documentation and then return your belongings to you, including your wand. You should be home within the hour."

Draco could barely believe this was happening. In fact, if it weren't for the fact his body was freezing and shaking so violently that it hurt, he would of questioned whether or not his present circumstances were some sort of dream, or mild psychotic hallucination. As it were, he found himself following the old wizard with whom he had just spoken along the dark, cold corridors of Azkaban. Although he was not certain, he believed that 240 days had passed since he was sentenced. 240 days of minimal human interaction, sloppy porridge thrice daily and very very basic hygiene breaks. But he was going home!  
Surely this old crack pot couldn't be right though?  
He had swanned into Dracos cell not 15 minutes earlier, seemingly oblivious to the dank, depressing surroundings he found himself in, and had announced to Draco that his sentence had been revoked and he was free to leave after a small bit of admin!

Draco looked down at the document in his hand as they walked, he hadn't even thought to read it at the time the wizengamot official had thrust it upon him. Having only had the mental capacity to focus on the facts being stated to him. He skimmed the pages of legal jargon until his eyes fell upon the final page. His case had been personally put forward by Potter it seemed, who had spent months petitioning for an audience to argue Draco's case. His signature and character statement were counter signed by a scratchy, messy signature which he could almost decipher as belonging Weaslebee. As he turned the page to note the third signature he collided with the back of the wizard he had been following. It seemed they had reached their destination.

"Just through here Mr Malfoy. We have a Ministry official here to process your release papers. Mr Potter insisted we oversee it personally, to avoid any 'errors' which may delay your release."

Draco could barely believe it. Begrudgingly, he acknowledged he seriously owed Potter for all this. Although his Slytherin nature was probing him to question the Golden Boys motives. But he would dwell on that later.

As the door before him was opened and he was ushered inside, he noticed a door across the room opening at the same time. His gut clenched as he saw her enter, it had been over a year since he had seen her. From afar after the battle had ended. But he would recognise her anywhere. Her hazel eyes locked with his silver, and he knew. He knew right then that on that last page would be her signature. He knew that she had told Potter what had happened and that she was why the two witless wonders had campaigned for his release.  
He grasped a table to his right for support, as he drank in her face. A face he hadn't been sure he would see again, yet it remained so familiar, as he dreamt of it most nights. He could scarcely draw breath, in case he burst this bubble.

"Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger here will be processing your release. I believe you may remember her from hogwarts."

"Miss Granger, I shall collect Mr Malfoys belongings and wait outside. If you should require assistance I shall only be in the room opposite."

The door closed with a soft click as the wizard left them. And for the first time in over a year, he found himself alone with Hermione.


	2. Chapter 2

He was quite sure he couldn't move. It seemed his brain had lost all capacity to function. But as her eyes strayed from his face and began to skim his appearance, he suddenly become very aware of his current state. He was thin, he always had been slim but the lack of adequate nutrition had left him with little to no muscle mass to speak off. His hair was still relatively short as the staff allowed haircuts once a month, to prevent lice, but it was dirty and matted. And his prison issue grey smock and trousers had definitely seen better days. He was suddenly hyper aware that to her, he must look hideous.  
She seemed to finish her musing and sat slowly in one of the seats at the table in the centre of the room, proceeding to remove several pieces of paper from her leather satchel and a large, blue quill. She smiled softly, and gestured for him to sit opposite.

"I know this must be overwhelming, but I'll talk you through everything. I'll answer any questions you may have as soon as this is all processed. But we need to get these documents completed and leave, we only have a small window of time."

He wasnt sure what she meant, about there only being a small window of time. But he sat down as instructed, wringing his hands in his lap. This was not how he had imagined seeing her again.

She looked even more beautiful than he remembered. She was more womanly now, her teenage features having given way to the more refined facial structure of a grown woman. Her hair, a long standing point of ridicule in their younger years, was now tamed into loose curls which fell just below her chin, and her figure had become softer and more curvy. He was sure she wasnt aware, but those curves had been admired by many of his fellow classmates during their final year at school before the Dark Lord had recruited Draco and his attention was pulled elsewhere.

She was dressed in a smart pencil skirt and blouse. He guessed that she was now a some sort of clerk within the ministry. He had been denied access to newspapers, magazines - in fact any outside communications- since his incarceration. He mused, that he in fact had no idea what had transpired in the wizarding world since the end of the war.

"Draco? Draco, are you alright? Would like some water?"  
His day dreaming was abruptly ended by the sound of her saying his name. He looked up at her, noting the look of concern in her eyes. What was he supposed to say?  
She reached out to take his hand and upon feeling her skin slide over his a memory flashed through his mind as crystal clear as if it were yesterday...

He was walking toward the library, he knew he shouldn't, he shouldn't be wasting time. But he had to see her. The thought of her face was all that kept him going through this hellish situation. He rounded the corner and pushed open the ornate oak doors, glancing around he noticed her in the usual isle head over her books. He walked silently over, sliding into the chair next to her. This corner of the library offered complete privacy, as the table was blocked by a protruding book shelf. They had been unofficially meeting here most evenings for the past month.

"Hey there stranger" he whispered, as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "How was your Easter?"  
Her quill planted a final full stop at the end of her sentence and she turned her attention to him. He would never get tired of that smile. How had he ever thought her teeth were too big? She had the most perfect set of white, straight teeth he had ever seen.  
"It was fine, we spent it at my Aunts in Devon which was lovely. I was supposed to go to the burrow but decided against it, I'm struggling enough to keep this a secret as it is without having Ginny breathing down my neck for a week. She has convinced herself that I'm having some secret relationship that she needs to uncover. She is like a dog with a bone about it, I had to go down to breakfast at 6am today just to escape her for half an hour!"  
She slammed her hands down on the table in exasperation.  
"That's why I didn't see you in the Great Hall  
.I was beginning to think you were avoiding me, even Theo noticed you were missing. He is far too interested in what you get upto by the way. I've had to divert several conversations about the shape of your arse in your skirt over the past week alone!"

"Ooooohhh, do I detect a tad of jealousy there Mr 'slytherin sex God' ?!" She goaded. He knew the rumours that circulated bothered her, and it was for that exact reason that he hadn't bothered to let her know that 99% of them were false. It didn't do her any harm to feel a bit jealous. He was, in fact, very close to giving Theo a very clear warning about whom had permission to stare at Grangers arse, anymore of the snide remarks from his fellow slytherin and their secret would be out.

"Draco? Draco - I was just joking..."

He was abruptly pulled from his memories into the very cold, very damp reality that was the room in which he and Hermione now sat. His eyes glanced down at her hand placed lightly atop of his. Her manicured nails and soft, creamy skin providing a stark contrast against the grimy, chapped appearance of his own. He quickly pulled his hand away and returned it to his lap under the table. She shouldn't be touching him - hell she shouldn't be seeing him - in this state.

Hermione diverted her gaze swiftly, so swiftly in fact that he didn't register the flash of hurt at his snub. She pulled a bottle of water from her bag and conjured him a glass, she poured the water steadily and slid the glass over to him. He wrapped his hands around it and raised it cautiously to his mouth. Water had never tasted so good, so clean.

"In order to process your release legally, we need to complete all of these forms. I have filled in most of the information already, it will just be a couple of signatures from you and then we can collect your things and leave." She spoke calmly, only giving him brief eye contact. Almost as if she were explaining something to a very small child.  
He expected that was perhaps somewhat how he looked, he hadn't been near a mirror in months, but he didn't need one to know he had lost alot of weight and he was quite sure his expression must look somewhat confused, his brain had become unaccustomed to processing large amounts of information over the last 12 months, in fact, the last half an hour was the most he had had to think about since his sentence was passed.

She slid the stack of papers over to him and held out the ornate blue quill.  
As he signed the first few papers, Granger stood and began pacing the far end of the room. His eyes roamed over her, taking in the conservative pencil skirt and white shirt. She had paired it with black court heels, he had never seen her in high heels before. It made her legs appear 3 inches longer. He remembered how it felt to run his hands up those legs, kissing her ankles.

He mentally shook himself, she had been the consummate professional since walking in here. Whatever notions he may have of feelings they had once shared, were clearly very far from her mind. Gods, for all he knew she was married. No ring though, he noted.  
She approached him from behind, "That's all of the required signatures. I hope you dont mind, but I brought you some clothes. I didn't think you would want to leave in those... robes" she hesitated. He looked up at her, she seemed so collected, but a shadow of uncertainty flashed behind her eyes.  
"Thank you, I would prefer some clean clothes...please." He replied, holding her eye contact. She turned to her satchel and plunged her arm in, he gaped at her when she produced a suit garment bag.

"Undetectable extension charm" she shrugged, in answer to his expression. He unzipped the bag slowly and noted a steel grey 3 piece muggle suit, the type he had begun to prefer up until his trial. She must have remembered.

He began to lift his smock over his head -

"I shall give you some privacy to..." but before he could hear the rest of her sentence she paused. Openly staring at him. He looked down at his torso. Angry, red welts wrapped his ribcage and crossed onto his hips. She walked towards him, so slowly it was almost painful, and placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. She turned him gently until his bare back faced her. He heard her gasp and when he looked over his shoulder he saw her hand covering her mouth and silent tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.  
He expected he did look ghastly. Not only was he painfully thin, the 'punishments he had been receiving over the last year had left significant scaring on his body. Magical whips were designed to lace the skin with an anti-coagulant which made healing lengthy and messy. As the youngest Death Eater to be sentenced, he had found that the guards enjoyed asserting their authority over him regularly. He assumed they felt some sort of superiority through it, and surprisingly he found it made him feel better, as if he were being appropriately punished for the terrible things he had done. In his mind, as sick as it was, he could justify what they were doing to him.

Hermione pulled her eyes away from his scars and looked into his face. Without giving much thought to what he was doing, he reached out and wiped a stray tear away with the pad of his thumb. Instinctively, her hand reached up and covered his, her eyes closing softly.  
"I've missed you Draco" she whispered. His heart clenched, he wasn't sure how they were going to broach the subject of their past, but it seemed that in true Gryffindor style she had gone all in.


End file.
